


The Whispering Room

by Tish



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/F, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-07-29 23:31:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16274618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tish/pseuds/Tish
Summary: The things created by love and devotion aren't always physical monuments.





	The Whispering Room

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mammothluv](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mammothluv/gifts).



Tiny motes of dust danced in the air, lit up by the sun streaming through the stained glass windows high above The Doctor's head. Red, gold, and blue panes shimmered brilliantly as she studied the ceiling, subtle details highlighted by the slowly changing angle of the light. She contemplated the immense love and devotion to detail that went into the creation of such art, the wish that future generations would see such beauty and be moved by the creator's vision.

The passion to create, not destroy, to love against hopelessness, to have the confidence to unite and build future instead of fearing the worst of their fellow beings -– all this made The Doctor's mind sing and her hearts beat faster. She exhaled and blinked a few times as her eyes grew misty with tears of joy. “Absolutely marvellous,” she whispered to herself.

“I agree,” a woman's voice whispered back.

The Doctor lurched and span around, quickly noting her position at a focal point of the oval shaped room and the curve of the dome. The owner of that familiar, beautiful voice was standing at the other focal point of the room, upon a mosaic of clasped hands. A tear dropped from The Doctor's eye as she stood, silent and staring at her beloved River.

“They call this the Whispering Room,” River said quietly. “If either of us moves away, then we can't hear each other.”

The Doctor swallowed and smiled, trying to keep her voice neutral. “Well, let's stay like this for a while.”

River suddenly grinned and shook her head, her hair gleaming in a shaft of light. “I have a better idea.” With that, she started walking over.

The Doctor watched, her hearts seeming to slow as time slowed to a crawl around them. River's footsteps came like a distant drum's slow beat as she narrowed the distance between them. The Doctor blinked and River was suddenly standing before her.

“Hello, I'm River,” River said warmly as she held out her hand. “I would love to show you around if you'd like a guide. I mean I'm not an official tourist guide, but I did a lot of archaeological work here, so I know every little nook and cranny of this place. Of course, I could also show you a lovely little restaurant if you'd prefer that.”

River's smile was intoxicating and The Doctor had to take a deep breath to regain her concentration as she shook River's hand. “Hello Sw-,” she bit her tongue, then continued. “Hello, it's wonderful to meet you. Yes. Yes to both.”

River beamed as she drank the sight of The Doctor in. “Sue, did you say? Hello, Sue. Well, we might as well start here. The Whispering Room is the centrepiece of Tanbh Selya's devotion for his beloved, Deyl. It all started when they kept meeting randomly, but circumstances always sent them in different directions. They both were always off having adventures and getting into mischief. Adrenaline is one hell of a drug, you know. Anyway, Selya decided to indulge himself after a lifetime of good acts for the people here, and built this exquisite place. One day, Deyl walked in, just as the sunlight streamed through those windows and stood in that beautiful light, right upon that mosaic of the clasped hands there on the floor. Selya whispered his love to her and she heard him clear as a bell. She replied with all her heart and went to him.”

The Doctor had listened, enthralled by River's words and entire existence, but pulled herself together. “I was going to clarify something, but you do spin such a wonderful yarn, I didn't have the hearts to interrupt.”

River's eyes widened. “Did you say hearts, _plural_?” As The Doctor nodded, River pulled a book with a blue cover from her pocket and quickly leafed through it. “Oh, this is a brand new chapter! Now, just where do you fit in?”

With a laugh, The Doctor placed a hand on River's. “Yes, a new chapter. Spoilers.”

“Hello, sweetie,” River's voice was soft and deep with desire. Then she growled playfully, swatting at The Doctor's hand. “Oh, and you let me babble on like a, I don't know, a Babylonian!”

“Or a bubbling brook? I still would like to hear about our beloved couple, you know,” The Doctor said.

“Then dinner,” River replied, leaving something unsaid hanging between them.

“Then comes the night,” The Doctor continued, breathlessly.

“Who needs to wait for the night to come?” River traced a line along The Doctor's chin up to her ear, one finger resting upon the earring hooked between top and bottom. “The stars can shine during the day, too.” The light streaming down caught the cluster of stars in the jewellery and reflected in River's eyes.

The Doctor closed the gap between them and kissed her wife, every nerve in her body tingling with joy. River embraced her, one hand cradling The Doctor's head and stroking her hair, the other wrapping around her waist, trapping the warmth of their bodies between them.

“Oh, how sweet it is to taste you again,” The Doctor sighed in between kisses.

“I'm going to give you so many courses to taste,” River said breathlessly, joining The Doctor in a laughing fit.

The Doctor reluctantly pulled away. “I just want to stay watching you in this perfect light for a while longer.”

They stood facing each other, hand in hand as the light subtly changed around them. They watched as small details in the other's face faded into shadow, and others brought into sharpness.

“If I could build something half as impressive as this place for you, I would do it,” River whispered passionately.

The stream of sunlight had almost totally slipped away now, leaving a tiny sliver of light lighting up the cluster in The Doctor's earring as they kissed once more.

“You've already created something as magnificent,” The Doctor replied as she brought their hands to her chest. “We created it together and it'll last until the end of time.”

 


End file.
